Right hand traffic. Which countries have left-hand traffic: a complete list of states
Is car traffic in Russia left-hand or right-hand? The answer to this question is quite simple. But what about other states? How do people drive on the roads of Africa, Britain or distant Australia?
Geography of the phenomenon: countries with left-hand traffic
The origin of this or that geographical phenomenon (casus) can be explained on the basis of historical features, features of the national mentality, or random factors. So, all countries of the world are divided into two groups: states in which they drive on the right side, and those in which left-hand traffic is accepted. The former are much more numerous, since right-handers predominate among the world's population. For such people, right-hand traffic is much more natural. But far from all countries and peoples went "with the flow", adopting left-hand traffic.
In what countries of the world is it common? Vehicles drive on the left side in 47 states of our planet (or about 34% of the world's population). These countries are mainly concentrated in Oceania, Southeast Asia and South Africa.
The most famous example of a state where left-hand traffic is accepted is Great Britain. In this country, it was officially legalized as early as 1756. Other notable examples are Australia, India, Jamaica, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, South Africa. Most of these states are in Asia (17). In Europe, only three countries drive on the left side of the road: the UK, neighboring Ireland, and Malta.
All countries that drive on the left are marked in green on the map below.
Why is that? Hypotheses of the emergence of left-hand traffic
Left-hand traffic originated in Britain. There are two main versions of why the British decided to drive on the left side:
- marine;
- knightly.
Everyone knows that Britain is a maritime power. The traditions and rules of the open ocean are very firmly established in the everyday life of the British. According to the old rules, British ships had to bypass each other exclusively on the left. It is assumed that later this rule migrated to land.
The second hypothesis can be considered rather legendary. The knights of medieval England preferred to ride on the left side of the road: it was supposedly more convenient for them to greet other riders passing by, or to meet the enemy with weapons in hand.
In the XVIII-XIX centuries, the tradition of left-hand traffic also spread to other countries of the world. Almost all of them were somehow connected with Britain: they were its colonies (like Australia), or were friends with it (like Japan, for example).
States that changed the movement
There are many examples when countries have changed their traffic patterns. This happened for various reasons: political, geographical or quite pragmatic.
The most iconic example of the transition to the opposite traffic system in Europe can be considered Sweden, which decided to take this step in 1967. This day (September 3) entered the history of the state under the name H-Day. The reason was purely geographical: all countries neighboring Sweden were right-handed, which created a lot of problems when crossing the border. By the way, on the borders of countries with different directions of traffic, special and impressive interchanges are being built on the roads. Such exist between Thailand and Laos, Brazil and Guyana, China and Hong Kong.
Some states switched to another traffic pattern solely on the principle of "annoying yesterday's occupiers." This is what Korea did in 1946, liberated from Japanese occupation. So did the United States in 1776, declaring its independence from Britain.
There are examples in the world when countries switched from right-hand traffic to left-hand traffic. This is the island nation of Samoa. The reason for this move is quite pragmatic: the country was oversaturated with used cars from Australia, in which the steering wheel was on the right side. The decision to switch to left-hand traffic in Samoa was made in 2009.
As for Russia, right-hand traffic was originally rooted here. True, in the Far East, in many cars, the steering wheel is located on the right side. The thing is that there are a lot of used cars here that came from Japan (where, as you know, the left-hand traffic scheme is adopted).
Finally
Researchers still cannot unequivocally answer the question of how left-hand traffic arose.
In what countries of the world is it common? Everything is simple here. First of all, this is the UK, as well as 46 other states. Almost all of them, to a greater or lesser extent, were historically connected with the former empire, and therefore brought this unusual "habit" into their lives.
The division into right and left sides of the movement began even before the appearance of the first car. Historians are still arguing among themselves which movement in Europe was the original. During the existence of the Roman Empire, riders rode on the left so that the right hand in which they held weapons was ready to instantly strike an enemy riding towards them. Evidence was found that the Romans had left-hand traffic: in 1998, in the UK, in the Swindon area, a Roman quarry was excavated, near which the left track was broken more than the right, as well as on a Roman denarius (dated 50 BC - 50 BC) depicted two horsemen riding around on the left side.
Mounting a horse in the Middle Ages was more convenient when driving on the left, since the sword did not interfere with the landing. However, there is an argument against this argument - the convenience of riding on the left or right lane when riding varies depending on the method of riding, and there were not so many warriors compared to the rest of the population. After people stopped taking weapons with them on the road, traffic began to gradually change to the right-hand side. This was explained by the fact that most people are right-handed, and with the advantage of the right hand in strength and dexterity, many things are more comfortable to do while moving on the right side of the road.
When walking (without weapons), while driving a horse and cart, it is more convenient to keep to the right side. On this side, it is more convenient for a person to be close to oncoming traffic in order to stop to talk with oncoming people, and it is easier to hold the reins with the right hand. Knights in tournaments also rode on the right - they held a shield in their left hand, and a spear was placed on the back of a horse, but there is an argument against this argument - the tournaments were just demonstrative "shows" and had nothing to do with real life.
Depending on the type of horse-drawn carriage, the convenience of right- and left-hand traffic varies: it is preferable for single-seat carriages with a seat for the coachman in front to ride on the right side, since when traveling with another carriage, the coachman needs to pull the reins more strongly with his right hand. Crews with a postilion (a coachman driving a team sitting on one of the horses) also adhered to the right side - the postilion always sits on the left horse to make it easier for him to board and control with his right hand. Multi-seat and open carriages drove on the left side of the road - so the driver could not accidentally hit a passenger or a passer-by walking along the sidewalk with a whip.
In Russia, even under Peter I, right-hand traffic was accepted as the norm, carts and sleighs drove around, as a rule, keeping to the right side, and in 1752, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna issued an official decree on the introduction of right-hand traffic on the streets of Russian cities of carriages and cabs. Among Western countries, for the first time a law on the side of movement was issued in England - it was a bill of 1756, according to which traffic on London Bridge should be on the left side, and in the case of "driving into an oncoming lane", a fine of 1 pound of silver was levied. And only after 20 years the British government issued the historic "Road Act", which spelled out the introduction of left-hand traffic. By the way, the same movement was adopted on the Manchester-Liverpool iron line that opened in 1830. According to one of the assumptions, England took this from the maritime rules, since it was an island state, and the only connection with the rest of the countries was shipping - through them the ship passed another ship that approached it from the right.
Great Britain is considered the main "culprit" of "leftism", which then influenced many countries of the world. According to one version, she brought the same order on her roads from the maritime rules, that is, at sea, an oncoming ship passed another, which was approaching from the right.
The influence of Great Britain affected the traffic order in its colonies, therefore, in particular, in countries such as India, Pakistan, Australia, left-hand traffic of vehicles was adopted. In 1859, the ambassador of Queen Victoria, Sir R. Alcock, persuaded the Tokyo authorities to also accept left-hand traffic.
Right-hand traffic is often associated with France, with its influence on many other countries. During the Great French Revolution of 1789, a decree issued in Paris ordered to move along the “common” right side. A little later, Napoleon consolidated this position by ordering the military to keep to the right side. Further, such an order of movement, strange as it may seem, was connected with big politics at the beginning of the 19th century. Those who supported Napoleon - Holland, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain. On the other hand, those who opposed the Napoleonic army: Britain, Austria-Hungary, Portugal turned out to be "leftists". The influence of France was so great that it influenced many European countries and they switched to right-hand traffic. However, in England, Portugal, Sweden and some other countries, the traffic remained on the left. In Austria, a curious situation has developed in general. In some provinces, the movement was left-handed, and in others, right-handed. And only after the Anschluss in the 30s with Germany, the whole country switched to the right-hand side.
In the beginning, left-hand traffic was also in the USA. But, probably, the freedom of the Americans was expressed, in contrast to the British, to do the opposite. It is believed that the French general Marie-Joseph Lafayette, who made a significant contribution to the struggle for independence from the British crown, “convinced” the Americans to switch to the right-hand traffic. At the same time, Canada until the 20s of the twentieth century retained left-hand traffic.
At various times, left-hand traffic was adopted in many countries, but they switched to new rules. For example, due to the proximity to countries that were former French colonies that have right-hand traffic, the former British colonies in Africa changed the rules. In Czechoslovakia (formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), left-hand traffic was retained until 1938. North Korea and South Korea switched from driving on the left to driving on the right in 1946, after the end of the Japanese occupation.
One of the last countries to switch from left-hand traffic to right-hand traffic was Sweden. This happened in 1967. Preparations for the reform began as early as 1963, when the Swedish parliament formed the State Commission for the transition to right-hand traffic, which was supposed to develop and implement a set of measures to ensure such a transition. On September 3, 1967, at 4:50 am, all vehicles had to stop, change sides of the road, and continue at 5:00 am. For the first time after the transition, a special speed limit regime was established.
After the advent of cars in Europe, a real leapfrog was going on. Most of the countries drove on the right side - this custom has been imposed since the time of Napoleon. However, in England, Sweden and even one part of Austria-Hungary, left-hand traffic reigned. And in Italy in different cities there were generally different rules!
As for the location of the steering wheel, on the first cars in most cases it was on the “wrong” right side for us. And regardless of which side the cars were driving on. This was done so that the driver could better see the overtaken car. In addition, with this arrangement of the steering wheel, the driver could get out of the car directly onto the sidewalk, and not onto the roadway. By the way, the first mass-produced car with a “correct” steering wheel was the Ford T.
Maybe someone else doesn't know.It is difficult to find a car forum in which the dispute about the right and left hand drive did not flare up. This is due to the increase in the number of right-hand drive cars brought to Russia, and the peculiarity of their operation on right-hand traffic.
The division into right and left sides of the movement began even before the appearance of the first car. Historians are still arguing among themselves which movement in Europe was the original. During the existence of the Roman Empire, riders rode on the left so that the right hand in which they held weapons was ready to instantly strike an enemy riding towards them. Evidence was found that the Romans had left-hand traffic: in 1998, in the UK, in the Swindon area, a Roman quarry was excavated, near which the left track was broken more than the right, as well as on a Roman denarius (dated 50 BC - 50 BC) depicted two horsemen riding around on the left side.
Mounting a horse in the Middle Ages was more convenient when driving on the left, since the sword did not interfere with the landing. However, there is an argument against this argument - the convenience of riding on the left or right lane when riding varies depending on the method of riding, and there were not so many warriors compared to the rest of the population. After people stopped taking weapons with them on the road, traffic began to gradually change to the right-hand side. This was explained by the fact that most people are right-handed, and with the advantage of the right hand in strength and dexterity, many things are more comfortable to do while moving on the right side of the road.
When walking (without weapons), while driving a horse and cart, it is more convenient to keep to the right side. On this side, it is more convenient for a person to be close to oncoming traffic in order to stop to talk with oncoming people, and it is easier to hold the reins with the right hand. Knights in tournaments also rode on the right - they held a shield in their left hand, and a spear was placed on the back of a horse, but there is an argument against this argument - the tournaments were just demonstrative "shows" and had nothing to do with real life.
Depending on the type of horse-drawn carriage, the convenience of right- and left-hand traffic varies: it is preferable for single-seat carriages with a seat for the coachman in front to ride on the right side, since when traveling with another carriage, the coachman needs to pull the reins more strongly with his right hand. Crews with a postilion (a coachman driving a team, sitting on one of the horses) also adhered to the right side - the postilion always sits on the left horse to make it easier for him to board and control with his right hand. Multi-seat and open carriages drove on the left side of the road - so the driver could not accidentally hit a passenger or a passer-by walking along the sidewalk with a whip.
In Russia, even under Peter I, right-hand traffic was accepted as the norm, carts and sleighs drove around, as a rule, keeping to the right side, and in 1752, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna issued an official decree on the introduction of right-hand traffic on the streets of Russian cities of carriages and cabs. Among Western countries, for the first time a law on the side of movement was issued in England - it was a bill of 1756, according to which traffic on London Bridge should be on the left side, and in the case of "driving into an oncoming lane", a fine of 1 pound of silver was levied. And only after 20 years the British government issued the historic "Road Act", which spelled out the introduction of left-hand traffic. By the way, the same movement was adopted on the Manchester-Liverpool iron line that opened in 1830. According to one of the assumptions, England took this from the maritime rules, since it was an island state, and the only connection with the rest of the countries was shipping - through them the ship passed another ship that approached it from the right.
It is Great Britain that is considered the “parent” of left-hand traffic, this example was adopted by its colonies (India, Pakistan, Australia) and other countries of the world. During the French Revolution in 1789, Napoleon issued an order for the military to move on the right side of the road, and subsequently the side of traffic and military columns was determined by the political views of the country: Napoleon's allies (Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Italy, Spain) established a right-hand movement, and the enemy countries (Britain, Potrugaliya, Austria-Hungary) - left-hand. In Austria, in different cities, traffic went in different directions, and then this country also stretched to the right. In Japan, the second largest country with left-hand traffic, it was adopted in 1859 under the influence of Queen Victoria's ambassador, Sir Rutherford Alcock.
After the end of the Japanese occupation in 1946, South Korea and the DPRK changed from left-hand traffic to right-hand traffic. Czechoslovakia, formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, switched to right-hand traffic in 1938. Sweden, on the other hand, became one of the last countries to change the direction of traffic; for this, in 1963, the State Commission was created for the transition to right-hand traffic. Its tasks included the development and implementation, and the right-hand traffic was officially fixed in 1967. On this solemn day, September 3, at exactly 4:50 in the morning, all cars and other vehicles had to stop, change lanes to the opposite one and resume traffic at 5:00. To ensure safety during this change, the authorities briefly introduced a speed limit.
In the United States, initially traffic was carried out on the left side, but, according to historians, the love of freedom and the contradiction of England made them move to the right side. According to one version, the founder of the right-hand movement in America was the French General Marie Joseph Lafayette, one of the most ardent fighters for independence from the crown of Great Britain. Canada, on the other hand, lasted with left-hand traffic until the 20s of the 20th century.
And in the future, the formation of the left or right direction of traffic was determined by the proximity to certain countries - the former British colonies in Africa (Sierra Leone, Gambia, Nigeria, Ghana) changed left-hand traffic to right-hand traffic, as they were located next to the former French colonies. And the former Portuguese colony of Mozambique changed from right-hand traffic to the opposite due to its proximity to the former British colonies.
As for the location of the steering wheel, on the first cars in most cases it was on the “wrong” right side for us. And regardless of which side the cars were driving on. This was done so that the driver could better see the overtaken car. In addition, with this arrangement of the steering wheel, the driver could get out of the car directly onto the sidewalk, and not onto the roadway. By the way, the first mass-produced car with a “correct” steering wheel was the Ford T.
In some countries, controversial issues arise due to the location of the steering wheel - for example, in the Bahamas, people mostly drive left-hand drive cars, since it is convenient to bring them from the USA, and in the east of our country, on the contrary, most cars are right-hand drive because of the proximity with Japan. Countries with left-hand traffic include Australia, England, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bermuda, Cyprus, India, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Saint Island Helena, South Africa, British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands, Zimbabwe and many others.
Prerequisites
Walking is on the right side. Apparently, most people (unarmed) keep to the right when walking.
To lead a horse, to drag a cart - right-handed. In this case, it is more convenient for a person to be on the side of the oncoming stream than on the side of the road - on the one hand, this allows you to avoid a collision, on the other, to stop and talk to the oncoming one.
After they stopped driving on the roads with weapons and suspecting every enemy, right-hand traffic spontaneously began to take shape on the roads, which was mainly due to human physiology, a significant difference in the strength and dexterity of different hands in the methods of driving heavy horse-drawn carriages drawn by several horses. The peculiarity of the person affected that most people are right-handed. When passing on a narrow road, it was easier to direct the carriage to the right to the side of the road or the edge of the road, pulling the reins with the right, that is, the strongest hand, holding the horses. It is probably for this simple reason that the tradition arose first, and then the norm of passing on the roads. This norm eventually became fixed as the norm of right-hand traffic.
In Russia, back in the Middle Ages, the right-hand traffic rule developed spontaneously and was observed as a natural human behavior. In 1709, the Danish envoy to Peter I, Just Yul, wrote that “in Russia, it is a custom everywhere for carts and sleighs, when meeting each other, to drive away, keeping to the right side.” In 1752, the Russian Empress Elizaveta Petrovna issued a decree on the introduction of right-hand traffic on the streets of Russian cities for carriages and cabbies.
In the West, the first law regulating left- or right-hand traffic was the English bill of 1756, according to which traffic on London Bridge was to be on the left side. For violation of this rule, an impressive fine was provided - a pound of silver. And 20 years later, the historic “Road Act” was issued in England, which introduced left-hand traffic on all roads in the country. The same left-hand traffic was adopted on the railway. In 1830, on the first Manchester-Liverpool railway line, traffic was on the left.
There is another theory of the appearance of initially left-hand traffic. Some historians suggest that it was more convenient to ride on the left side at the time when horse teams appeared, where the coachmen sat at the top. So, when they drive horses, the whip of a right-handed coachman could accidentally hit passers-by who were walking along the sidewalk. That is why horse-drawn carriages often rode on the left.
Great Britain is considered the main "culprit" of "leftism", which then influenced many countries of the world. According to one version, she brought the same order on her roads from the maritime rules, that is, on the sea, an oncoming ship passed another, which was approaching from the right.
The influence of Great Britain affected the order of movement in its colonies, therefore, in particular, in countries such as India, Pakistan, Australia, left-hand traffic was adopted. In 1859, Queen Victoria's ambassador, Sir R. Alcock, persuaded the Tokyo authorities to also adopt left-hand traffic.
Right-hand traffic is often associated with France, with its influence on many other countries. During the French Revolution of 1789, a decree issued in Paris ordered to move along the "common" right side. A little later, Napoleon consolidated this position by ordering the military to keep to the right side, so that anyone who met the French army would give way to it. Further, such an order of movement, oddly enough, was associated with big politics at the beginning of the 19th century. Those who supported Napoleon - Holland, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain. On the other hand, those who opposed the Napoleonic army: Britain, Austria-Hungary, Portugal - turned out to be "leftist". The influence of France was so great that it influenced many countries in Europe, and they switched to right-hand traffic. However, in England, Portugal, Sweden and some other countries, traffic remained on the left. In Austria, a curious situation has developed in general. In some provinces, the movement was left-hand, and in others right-hand. And only after the Anschluss in the 1930s by Germany, the whole country switched to the right-hand side.
At first, left-hand traffic was also in the USA. But by the end of the 18th century, there was a gradual transition to right-hand traffic. It is believed that the French general Marie-Joseph Lafayette, who made a significant contribution to the struggle for independence from the British crown, "convinced" the Americans to switch to the right-hand traffic. At the same time, left-hand traffic remained in a number of Canadian provinces until the 1920s.
At various times, left-hand traffic was adopted in many countries, but they switched to new rules. For example, due to the proximity to countries that were former French colonies that have right-hand traffic, the former British colonies in Africa changed the rules. In Czechoslovakia (formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), left-hand traffic was retained until 1938. North Korea and South Korea switched from driving on the left to driving on the right in 1946, after the end of the Japanese occupation.
One of the last countries to switch from left-hand traffic to right-hand traffic was Sweden. This happened in 1967. Preparations for the reform began as early as 1963, when the Swedish parliament formed the State Commission for the transition to right-hand traffic, which was supposed to develop and implement a set of measures to ensure such a transition. On September 3, 1967, at 4:50 am, all vehicles had to stop, change sides of the road, and continue at 5:00 am. For the first time after the transition, a special speed limit regime was established.
After the advent of cars in Europe, a real leapfrog was going on. Most of the countries drove on the right side - this custom has been imposed since the time of Napoleon. However, in England, Sweden and even one part of Austria-Hungary, left-hand traffic reigned. And in Italy in different cities there were generally different rules!
As for the location of the steering wheel, on the first cars in most cases it was on the “wrong” right side for us. And regardless of which side the cars were driving on. This was done so that the driver could better see the overtaken car. In addition, with this arrangement of the steering wheel, the driver could get out of the car directly onto the sidewalk, and not onto the roadway.
The first mass-produced car with a "correct" steering wheel was the Ford T.
Countries that changed the movement
At various times, left-hand traffic was adopted in many countries, but due to the inconvenience associated with the fact that the neighbors of these countries had right-hand traffic, they switched to right-hand traffic. The most famous in history was H-Day in Sweden, when the country switched from driving on the left to driving on the right.
Also, the former British colonies in Africa, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Nigeria and Ghana, were changed from left-hand drive to right-hand drive due to their proximity to countries - former French colonies that have right-hand traffic. Conversely, the former Portuguese colony of Mozambique changed from right-hand drive to left-hand drive due to its proximity to the former British colonies. North Korea and South Korea changed from left-hand traffic to right-hand traffic in 1946, after the end of the Japanese occupation.
Countries with left-hand traffic
Changing sides at the border
On the borders of countries with different directions of movement, road junctions are built, sometimes quite impressive.
Special cases
First cars
On cars produced at the beginning of the 20th century, the location of the steering wheel has not yet been finally determined: often the driver's seat was made from the side of the sidewalk (that is, they made the right wheel for right-hand traffic and the left one for left-hand traffic). In the future, the location of the steering wheel on the side opposite the sidewalk became the standard - this provides a better view when overtaking; in addition, when using the car as a taxi, it makes getting in and out of the passenger more convenient and safer.
post cars
Cars for extracting mail are often made with a “wrong” steering wheel position (for example, such an IZH van was produced in the USSR). This is done for the convenience of the driver, who can now go directly to the sidewalk and is not exposed to unnecessary danger.
Bahamas
Historically, the Bahamas have left-hand drive, but most cars drive around the islands with left-hand drive due to the proximity of the United States, from where such cars are constantly imported.
Russia - East
Regardless of the position of the driver's seat, the headlights are adjusted so that the light is directed slightly towards the curb - in order to illuminate pedestrians and not blind oncoming drivers.
However, the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic says that a car temporarily entering the country must comply with the technical standards of the country in which it is registered.
Other modes of transport
Aircraft
For a number of reasons (imperfect ignition systems and carburetors, which often caused the engine to stop, severe weight restrictions), World War I aircraft had exclusively rotary engines - the engine star rotates with the propeller, and the fuel-oil mixture is fed through a hollow fixed crankshaft. In such engines, the heavy crankcase played the role of a flywheel. The screw, as a rule, was used right, rotating clockwise. Due to the large mass of the engine, reverse torque arose, tending to create a left roll for the aircraft, so turns to the left were performed more vigorously. Because of this, many aviation maneuvers were based on left turns - hence the left pilot's seat.
With the improvement of ignition systems, rotary engines gave way to two-row and star-shaped, which have many times less reverse torque. Pilots (already peaceful) navigated along the existing roads (and in the desert area, where there are no roads, furrows were made). When the planes (with a well-established left seat), flying along the road towards each other, needed to pass each other, the pilots gave back to the right - hence the right-hand traffic with the left seat of the main pilot.
There is another reason related to anatomy: the pilot holds the control stick with his right hand in front of him at chest level, his left hand is lower, approximately at the level of the armrest, controls the engine using the throttle. With this position, it is more convenient to look down on the left side, since the right hand placed in front of you prevents you from leaning to the right.
Helicopters and ships
Almost everywhere (except inland rivers) left-hand traffic with the right seat is used. This allows you to see traffic on the starboard side (which must be skipped).
The seat of the main pilot on the only serial tiltrotor V-22 Osprey on the right, "like a helicopter."
Railroad and metro
The pioneer of rail transport is Great Britain, which has imposed left-hand rail traffic on many countries (France, Israel, Russia). Later, Russia switched to right-hand traffic, but even now some of the old Russian lines are left-hand traffic. In Germany, railway traffic has historically been on the right. Therefore, in Alsace-Lorraine (belonging to Germany until the First World War), trains still run on the right side.
Often there is a left-hand movement of escalators in order to reduce the mutual intersection of human flows, or for the convenience of organizing the upper lobby.
If on the world map we paint over countries with left-hand and right-hand traffic in different colors, then we will see that there are much more of the latter. This is also evidenced by statistics: 66% of the population move on the right side of the road, while the remaining 34% move on the left.
It is interesting that in ancient times the situation was the opposite: it was mostly left-hand traffic that was observed. It is known that throughout the territory of the Roman Empire, left-hand traffic was used, for which a lot of evidence has been found, ranging from ancient Roman images to studies of the track of ancient Roman roads. This can be explained by the fact that most people are right-handed, which means that, having caught up with a stranger on the road, in case of danger it was more convenient to grab a weapon with your right hand and immediately be ready for a skirmish. Probably, this rule, adopted for the movement of Roman troops, was soon picked up by other citizens of the empire. Imitating the Romans, left-hand traffic was used in most ancient states.
The modern division of the world into left-hand traffic (in blue) and right-hand traffic
After the fall of the Roman Empire, some general norms that had previously regulated traffic over a vast territory ceased to exist, so the physiological characteristics of a person came to the fore: charioteers, most of whom were right-handed, it was more convenient to drive on the right side, so that on narrow roads with when passing with oncoming traffic, it is more confident to control the horses with a strong hand, directing them to the side. Over the centuries, this habit has become established as a social movement norm in many countries.
In 1776, the first traffic regulation was issued in Europe. The country that adopted it was Britain, which established on its territory ... left-hand traffic. Historians are still arguing what exactly caused this decision. Perhaps this was done in order to "separate" from the rest of the right-wing Europe, with the leading countries of which Britain was in confrontation. Or, perhaps, the officials simply adopted the law from the army naval admiralty, which ordered the oncoming ships of the English crown to disperse to starboard.
The introduction of left-hand traffic in a geographically small metropolis influenced the vast territories of the colonies of the British Empire, as well as allied countries. First of all, these are the territories of present-day India, Australia and Pakistan, where, by analogy with Britain, left-hand traffic is still used.
September 3, 1962 - Sweden switches to right-hand traffic. On that day, a terrible confusion arose on the streets of Swedish cities
On the other side was France with the allies, who began to use the right-hand traffic. Legislatively in many European countries, it was established during the time of Napoleon. As usual, the colonies of European states followed their center, which divided the world into two camps, the echoes of which we are seeing to this day.
In Russia and neighboring countries, the rule of right-hand traffic developed spontaneously, and, interestingly, the country adopted the law on right-hand traffic earlier than European states - in 1756 during the reign of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna.
Illustration: depositphotos | lunamarina
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